Dispensing machine



June 19, 1928. 1,674,251

v. H. KELLEY DISPENSING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1927 14' 3 Patented June19, 1928.

UNITED 'srars ET-Omar. I

VICTOR H. KELLEY, F MADISON, WISCONSIN.

DISPENSING MACHlENE.

Application filed May 2, 1927. Serial No. 188,065.

This invention relates to dispensing masuperposed on each other. Whensuch a chines, having reference more particularly pair of books reachesthe bottom of the to machines adapted to 'dispense matches magazine, thetwo wide ends of the books 55 whether packaged in rectangular boxes orare too high to go through the delivery in the well-known books.opening, and the machine jams.

One known type of dispensing machines The object of my present inventionis to for match boxes consists of an upright casprovide a simple,practical and inexpensive ing containing a vertical compartment withconstruction of delivery opening and ejector, 60 the articles piled uptherein, a side delivery whereby a pair of books will be expelledopening at the bottom of the compartment, from the bottom of themagazine through and a laterally movable ejector which serves thedeliveryopening, and without any jamto push the lowermost article out ofthe ining of the machine, entirely irrespective of delivery opening, atthe same time supportthe manner in which the books may be ar- 65 ing thesuperposed pile of articles in the ranged in the pile. v

compartment, and whenretracted permitting 7 Since my presentinvention'deals simply the pile to drop onto the bottom or floor of withthe novel forms of the delivery openthe magazine preliminary to the nextpacking and the ejector whereby the above-stated age-expelling movementof the ejector. object is accomplished, I have not, in the 70 Some formsof these machines employ drawings accompanying this application, at-

twin magazines located side by side with tempted. to show other detailsof the madelivery openings in the opposite sides of chine, such as theejector locking and actuatthe casing, and an ejector which alternatelying-mechanism, and the opening guards, for expels the lowermost articlefrom the b'otwhich any desired or approved devices may 75 toms of thetwo magazines. Furthermore, he used. v

machines of this type, when employed as Referring to. the drawings, I

vending machines, are usually further F ig. 1 is a side elevation of thelower equipped with a coin-released locking mechportion of a dispensingmachine showing anism controlling the movement of the the deliveryopening and the ejector, and 80 ejector, and with a guard or guards forthe the superposed match books, the lowermost delivery opening oropenings serving to two of which are disposed with their wide close thelatter and prevent theft of the ends rearward and superposed; v articleswhen the ejector is retracted. Fig. 2 is a similar view, wherein theHeretofore the side delivery opening at lowermost two books are disposedwith their 85 the bottom of the magazine has usually been wide endsforward and superposed;

' rectangular in form, and of a size to permit Fig. 3 is a similar view,wherein the lowerthe passage of either a single box of matches most twobooks are shown with their wide or of a pair of books of matches wherethe and narrow ends relatively superposed, so latter are stacked up inthe magazine with that the combined structure is substantially 90 thewide end of each book above the narrow rectangular;

end of the next underlying book, the books, Fig.4 is aperspective detailof the ejector.

as is well known, being of a general wedge Referring to the drawing, thehousing of r I shape longitudinally. So long as the books the machinecomprises in general a castare piled in the magazin in the manner metalbase 10 mounted on feet 11, and a 95 stated, a machine having arectangular opensuperposed rectangular sheet-metal casing ing adapted todeliver a single box of 12. In practice this latter is commonly matches.will serve equally well to deliver divided by a transverse partition 13into a pair of books of matches. But it frefront and rear compartments,and the front quently happens tha th p l l d g he compartment is dividedby a partition 14 magazine fails to observe the alternating into twinvertical magazines. In each-side 50. order of piling up the books. Thatis to say, of the housing at the bottom of each comtwo or more adjacentbooks are frequently partment is formed a delivery opening dos placed inthe magazine with their wide ends. ignated as an entirety by 15. itsherein shown the bottom and side edges of the opening are formed in thebase 10, while the upper edge of the opening is constituted by a portionof the lower edgefof the side wall of the casing 12; but so far as thepresent invention is concerned it is imn'laterial in what part of thestructure the opening is formed. In the base is a bottom plate 16 forthe magazines, on which the lowermost article of the stack comes to restwhen the ejector, hereinafter described, is withdrawn laterally frombeneath the magazine. The lower edge of the opening issubstantially'flush with the bottom plate 16.

, The lower edge 17 of that portion of the casing side wall 12 whichforms the upper edge of the delivery opening 15 is given the shape of awidened V, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. Reciprocablesidewise over the bottom plate 16 is the ejector 18 shown in isolatedperspective view in 4. This comprises preferably a channel- V shapedmember having parallel vertical side walls and a top wall 19 that takestheshape of a widened inverted V. The inclined sides of the top edge 17of the delivery opening preferably form substantially the same angle tothe horizontal as do the inclined sides of the top wall 19 of theejector. In the structure herein shown the rear end of the ejector ismounted on the lower end of a pendulum bar which extends rearwardlybeneath the partition wall 13 and at its upper end is pivotal lysuspended from a point near the top of the wall 13 as fully shown in aprior application filed by me April 2, 1927-, Serial No. 180,408. Inpractice, also, the openings are equipped with suitable guards andguard-actuating devices, the structural details of which have noreference to the present invention, but preferably those shown andclaimed in my aforesaid application are employed.

To illustrate the manner in which the described construction serves toalways deliver the lowermost pair of match books without any clogging orjamming of the machine, in Fig. 1 I have shown the lowermost pair ofmatch books B and B at rest on the bottom plate 16 opposite the deliveryopening 15 with their wide ends rearward and superposed, the two booksthus producing a sub stantially triangular or wedge-shaped object. Whenthe ejector is swung to expel the books, it acts upon; the inner or rearedges of both books, and the rear or inner edge of the openingis highenough to permit the books to pass. Atthe same time the lower centralportion at the \/-shaped u per edge of the opening holds back the nextsuperpod wa Fig. 2 how's the tasks B and 13' arranged relatively the sas in Fig. 1 but with their superposed wide ends foreindst. Since thesparing 15 is symmetries at its two ends the apexes of the opening edgeand the ejector being mid-width of the opening, the two lowermost bookscan pass freely through the opening under the thrust of the ejector, thesame as described in connection with Fig- 1, the V-shaped lower portion17 of the side wall acting to hold back the next superposed book.

In 3 the lowermost pair of books B and B are disposed relatively as theyshould be normally, that is with the wide end of one book registeringvertically with the narrow end of the other, the two books thusproducing a substantially rectangular object. The height of this objectis slightly less than the height of the apex of the V-shaped upper edge17 of the opening 7 above the floor 16. Hence, when the ejector isshifted sid'ewise to expel the lowermost two books, the latter will passfreely through the opening. 7

The purpose of giving the described double slope to the top edge of theejector 18 will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2. In thearrangement shown in Fig. 1. the forward slope of the top edge of theejector 18 prevents the latter from striking the wide end of the thirdbook from the 'botton whicli is held back by the top edge portion of theopening. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the rearward slope of thetop edge of the ejector'manifestly performs the same function.

From the forgoing it will be seen that the described construction ofejector and de- A livery opening enables the machine to invariablydeliver a pair of books, and no more without any amming of the machine,irrespective of how the booksare piled'up in the magazine.

I claim I 1. In a dispensing machine, the combination of a hOuSlIIghaving a bottom plate and a magazine for articles to be dispensed andformed witha delivery opening opposite the lower end of saidmagazine,theupperedge of said opening being of a wide V-shap'e,

and anejector movable over said bottom plate to push articles throughsaid opening, the upper edge of the working face of'said ejector beingof a wide inverted V-shapef 2. In a dispensing machine. the c'ombinationof a housing having a bottom plate and a magazine for articles to bedispensed and formed with, a delivery opening opposite the lower end ofsaid magazinatlie lower edge of said opening being substantially flushwith said bottom plate and its upper edge being of a wide invertedV-shape, and an ejector movable over said bottom plate to push articlesthrough said openin an lower edge of the workingface of said ejectorbeing substantially parallel with the lower; ed e of saidepemng awaitsupper edge being of a wide invertedv-shape.

3. In a dispensing machine, the combinabottom plate to push articlesthrough said tion of a housing having a bottom plate and opening, theupper edge of the Working face a magazine for articles to be dispensedand of said ejector being of a Wide inverted 1 formed With a deliveryopening opposite V-shape: the apexes of said opening edge 5 the lowerend of said magazine, the upper and said ejectorface lying midway of theedge of said opening being of a Wide V- Width of said opening.

shape, and an ejector movable over, said VICTOR H. KELLEY.

